Improvement in horse hat-forks



'tine-1I Stima @attent Gettin.

Letters .Patent ZY 96,173, dated October 26, 1869; antcdatcd October 16, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

IIhe Schedule referred to in these Letters Ptent and makiz Dart of the same.

7 'o all lwhom it may conce/rn:

le it known that I, CHAUNCEY E. WARNER, of

Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of A New York, have invented a new and useful Improvenient in 'Horse Hay-Forks; and I do hereby declare that the l'ollowng is a t'uil, clear, and exact description thereof', which will enable those skilled in the art to malle and use the same, reference being had to theucompanying drawings,'tbrming part of this speci-- tica-tion, in which- Figure I is a side view ot' my improvement, and

11igure. 2 is a sectional edge view. Figure 3 is a top view of the locking-segments, and

Figure 4 shows a nioditiation in the locking-parts which secure said segments to each other.

Similar letters ot'reference indicate like parts in all the h'gnres. y

The fork has two curved tines, A A', which enter the. hay in a circular direction, as the fork is pressed in, so that the tines stand in about the position shown in lig. l, when theyare fully engaged with the hay.

The lock is t'onned by two toothed segments, a and a', one of which is fixed to the tine A, and the other to the tine A', the said segments being arranged concentrimlly with the pivot l1, and are made to engage with each other, to secure the tines i'n the loaded positionrb) a loop, (i, which is extended upward, so a-s to be suspended from the' main pivotb, and in such manner as to slide vertically thereon.

ln the. position shown, the loop O is holdingr the toothed segments (t c engaged with each other; but, hvpnlling on the discharging-cordL the loop is elevated, so that the segments a a occupy the lower portion 'ot' loop C, which is sutiieiently roomy (see fig. 2 to allow the segments to move apart, and disengagc.

lhe disengagementot' the seg-ments is insured,

when the loop C is raised, by a wedge-shaped projec-Y tion, c, lig. il, in the lower portion of the loop, which enters a V- groove lhrnied between the lower edges ot' the segments, and forces said segments to discngagc with each other, and holds them apart, Aso that their teeth cannot catch, and wear upon each other, while the fork is heilig opened or closed.

The loop C has two arms, dal, lig 1 and, when the operator wishes to close the locl he places his hands 'upon the said arms d d, aild'pushes the loop C down,

and the segmentsa aare made to engage with each other, thereby being forced together by the narrow portion of the loop O, as it is forced down upon them.

The arms (l l also act as stops, to prevent the tines A A t'roin closing beyond` a certain point, the said tines strikingr upon the ends of these arms d d.

Upon the end of each segment a is a stop or projection, h, which prevents the fork from being opened too far, by said stops coming in contact with the loop C.

The segments a a can be made to engage with each other, to lock the fork, by a jaw hinged to one o`t` the segments, as shown in iig. 4, in place of the vertically-sliding loop C, said jaw having a handle, to close it, and being raised by a cord, f, to discharge the fork, the same as when the loop is used. I, however, consider the sliding loop as preferable, as the segments are kept clear of each other when disengaged, and all grating and wear ot' the teeth against each other are avoided. l

Having thus described my invention,

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. ln connection with the curved tines A A', the toothed segments a, e and'vertically-sliding loop C c (Z d, all constructed and operating substantially as herein shown, and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the curved tines A A', the toothed segments a a', xed to said tines, and arranged concentric-ally with th'e main pivot l1, and used in connection with a suitable device for engaging or disenga-ging them at will, for the purpose specified.

The above specification ot' my invention signed by me, this 15th day ot' March, 1869.

Witnesses: C. E. WVARNER.

WM. J. Donors, F. A. Montar. l 

